Policing for Profit, 2nd Edition
Published in 2015, this is an older edition of IJ’s landmark Policing for Profit report. You can download the report here, but please see the fourth and current edition for the most up-to-date information.
Additional Resources
Policing for Profit
Civil forfeiture threatens the constitutional rights of all Americans. Using civil forfeiture, the government can take your home, business, cash, car or other property on the mere suspicion that it is somehow connected to criminal activity—and without ever convicting or even charging you with a crime.
Related Cases
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
The Government Took Nearly $1.4 Million From a Kentucky Business and Wants to Keep It Forever. It Still Won’t Say Why.
The Case If you have ever pulled cash from an ATM or spent U.S. dollars in Mexico, you may have crossed paths with Steven Bailey’s business without knowing it. His company,…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Phoenix-area small business files federal lawsuit after federal agents raid business, seize money
The Case On the morning of Feb. 25, 2025, Mario Ayala was in Mexico visiting his dying father. Unfortunately, Mario had to cut that trip short. The reason? Federal agents…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Family Jewelry Business Fights Back to End Predatory Civil Forfeitures at Indianapolis FedEx Hub
Henry and Minh Cheng, who run a wholesale jewelry business, are fighting Indiana to keep money a customer sent them through FedEx. Indiana police seized the money and prosecutors are trying to take it through civil forfeiture without saying what the couple did wrong.
In The News
Related Reports
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 3
Nationwide, civil forfeiture is a massive threat to property and due process rights. So finds the third edition of Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture. The report presents the largest ever collection…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Seize First, Question Later
Thanks to federal civil forfeiture laws, the Internal Revenue Service has seized millions of dollars from thousands of Americans’ bank accounts without proof of criminal wrongdoing.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Bad Apples or Bad Laws?
An original experiment finds that civil forfeiture laws create a strong temptation for law enforcement to seize property to pad their own budgets.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing and Prosecuting for Profit
In 2002, New Jersey’s Carol Thomas made headlines after her teenage son used her 1990 Ford Thunderbird to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer. He was arrested, pled guilty and faced his punishment. However,…
